Author Topic: Lockheed P-3X  (Read 10579 times)

Offline RayS

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Lockheed P-3X
« on: May 08, 2022, 09:18:12 PM »
Since I was given the opportunity to complete a well-started build in the P-7 I thought in a moment of madness I would use the leftovers from that conversion to create another P-3 variant.

I shall call this the P-3X, a twin-engine low-cost Coastal Patrol version for smaller Armed Forces who do not need the full capability of the standard P-3. FUll back story to follow.

I have started on assembling the jigsaw of the leftovers, I cut the forward section of the fuselage down a tad more (took out an inch) to make the conversion look a lot more compressed



Compared to a full P-3 fuselage


The wing leftovers are shorter at the root than usual and the inboard nacelles do not have enough prop clearance. So they need to be removed/reshaped with some reinforcing required before plastic removal


Inboard nacelles top removed and void filled with card, milliput will be used to fill the rest of the void. I need to leave part of it protruding as the main wheel well extends past the leading edge. This means some sort of aerodynamic fairing will have to go on the front of it as well, most likely more milliput.


LOwer wing sections going together


A spar will be required to give the new wing some strength


The spar has been glued to the wing which has been taped to the fuselage to give some semblance of dihedral, this shot shows a basic mock-up of the build so far. The eagle-eyed among you will note the cut-down and reshaped vertical stabiliser.


I find this initial hacking and slashing quite enjoyable and goes by quite quickly, then I get bogged down with the filling a shape refining. See how we go this time.
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Ray

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2022, 10:21:53 PM »
All right! 8) :smiley:
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2022, 01:32:31 AM »
 :smiley:
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline Frank3k

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2022, 02:54:14 AM »
Looks good! You can use the inner nacelle as a pod for an external fuel tank/landing gear bay/extra equipment

Offline apophenia

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2022, 04:34:11 AM »
Excellent concept. And a lovely bit of parts-bin 'recycling'  :smiley:
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Offline RayS

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #5 on: May 09, 2022, 09:11:19 AM »
Looks good! You can use the inner nacelle as a pod for an external fuel tank/landing gear bay/extra equipment

Great ideas, I need to keep the inner lower sections as they have the main gear wheel wells, I contemplated for a microsecond cutting them out and moving them outboard but decided it was too much work even for me.  :smiley:
*-*-*
Ray

Offline Kerick

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2022, 09:26:22 AM »
Lov’n both of these builds! I’ll be watching.

Offline RayS

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2022, 03:39:29 PM »
Some paint applied to the interior is prep for starting to button things up


Cockpit painted and assembled


The locations of the engines were bugging me so I taped it all together to see what it would look like.


I did start to look at how I could cut up the wings to move the engines inboard and the wheel wells outboard to make one unit. But I decided it was too hard for this exercise and binned the idea.

So Milliput was applied to the gaping holes in the wings in prep for huge sanding session to fair everything in.
*-*-*
Ray

Offline finsrin

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #8 on: May 12, 2022, 02:00:50 AM »
Shorty fuselage looks correct  :smiley:      Nifty treatment of inner engine delete  :smiley:

Offline Kerick

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2022, 03:51:49 AM »
Good idea taping up for the test pics. Carry on!

Offline RayS

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #10 on: May 24, 2022, 07:49:51 PM »
I have been distracted by other builds (in the background of these images). I manage to clean up the milliput on the wing assembly and get the fuselage together tonight.



Since I can't find the nose wheel well piece I will have to build it wheels up. So the stand support structure has been added to the wing assembly as well.

More puttying on the way...
*-*-*
Ray

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #11 on: May 24, 2022, 09:58:03 PM »
Just you wait & see: As soon as you've got the finished build up on the stand, the missing nose wheel well will appear & smirk at you! ;)
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline RayS

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #12 on: June 21, 2022, 02:38:52 PM »
With other things getting in the way, like Australia's biggest Model competition I have been able to find time to do some more.

The wings went onto the fuselage and milliput seared in the resulting crevices. This was sanded back to give some semi-pleasing joinery (if you don't look too close)


I also bit the bullet and built a nose wheel well and also installed a cut-down sonobuoy disperser panel


Some  putty applied to the new parts
*-*-*
Ray

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #13 on: June 21, 2022, 04:26:10 PM »
PSR, the modellers' curse! ::) ;)
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #14 on: June 21, 2022, 05:42:17 PM »
Yes.. this is coming along very nicely

Offline RayS

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #15 on: June 23, 2022, 12:47:01 PM »
I have the tail planes attached ( from a B-17 of all things!) and am tinkering with the idea of making this a trimotor rather than a twin.
*-*-*
Ray

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #16 on: June 23, 2022, 01:38:56 PM »
I ... am tinkering with the idea of making this a trimotor rather than a twin.

I wouldn't.

No matter what you fit, wherever you fit it, it will
a) spoil the lines; &
b) reduce/interfere with your aircraft's patrol capabilities.
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline RayS

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #17 on: June 25, 2022, 09:16:15 AM »
Oops..... too late




Replacement radar and other sensor lumps also added
*-*-*
Ray

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #18 on: June 25, 2022, 08:20:18 PM »
Um, where do the turbine exhaust gases go from the turboprop? ???
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Jeffry Fontaine

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #19 on: June 25, 2022, 09:46:31 PM »
Um, where do the turbine exhaust gases go from the turboprop? ???
Maybe it is a hybrid turbine/electric powered aircraft?  Two gas turbines on the wings and a large electric motor in the nose.  :smiley:
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Offline RayS

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #20 on: June 26, 2022, 10:28:15 AM »
Um, where do the turbine exhaust gases go from the turboprop? ???

At that point, I had not thought about where they would go, since then I have added an exhaust pipe just forward of the nose wheel well. Might change it to 2 pipes angled diagonally though.
« Last Edit: June 26, 2022, 08:05:22 PM by RayS »
*-*-*
Ray

Offline RayS

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #21 on: June 26, 2022, 08:14:43 PM »
And here is how the exhausts went, the big one
72_Has_P-3X_22 by Ray Seppala, on Flickr

which I was not a fan of then replaced with two smaller ones (putty fixed up later)


And then some pylons added


and the proposed loadout (as I have LOTS of Hasegawa Mk46 torpedoes)


*-*-*
Ray

Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #22 on: June 27, 2022, 06:49:27 AM »
Wow, did not see that coming.
Sort of with Guy on this, in the ambivilent bucket around aesthetics.

However.... the radically changed looks makes it very purposeful and the modelling is top notch.

Great work.

Offline finsrin

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #23 on: June 27, 2022, 08:08:13 AM »
Inspiring   :smiley:

Offline RayS

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Re: Lockheed P-3X
« Reply #24 on: July 02, 2022, 07:00:58 AM »
Haven't been able to pay much attention to this or my other build due to restarting part-time work.

With the extension, I will attempt to get this one finished at least.

Test with props fitted



I too am not sure about the aesthetics at the moment, I shall consider my options
« Last Edit: July 02, 2022, 02:03:58 PM by RayS »
*-*-*
Ray